AG Dana Nessel won't pursue criminal action against Michigan GOP Chair Ron Weiser
From the Detroit Free Press (8/23/21):
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel declined to pursue criminal action against Michigan Republican Party Chairman Ron Weiser related to payments Weiser allegedly made to a former GOP secretary of state candidate to drop out of the race in 2018.
An investigation conducted by the Secretary of State's Office earlier this year found evidence of an improper agreement in which Weiser agreed to pay former Shelby Township clerk Stan Grot $200,000 to drop out of the secretary of state's race before the party's 2018 convention.
Weiser agreed to pay $200,000 to resolve a campaign finance complaint following the review. Nessel's office determined that the alleged campaign finance violation isn't criminal and didn't warrant additional action on the matter.
"Paying a candidate for office to withdraw from a statewide election is no doubt insidious behavior that diminishes and undermines our democracy," Nessel said. "However, under the circumstances presented, Mr. Weiser's use of political party funds to manipulate the nomination for the office of Secretary of State for the 2018 Michigan Republican Convention did not allow for criminal charges to be generated," she added.
The payments to Grot violated Michigan campaign finance law, according to the Secretary of State's office.